My Captor
by Belief Among Unrest
Summary: To save her friends, Katara sacrifices her freedom and gets captured by Zuko. But when her life is on the line numerous times, and they must escape to the Earth Kingdom, will she save herself, or will love become an obstacle? Will Azula's plan end Zuko?
1. Chapter 1

I had to run.

It's not always an easy choice, doing what is best for others, or doing what you want to do. I wanted so badly to stay, not to be separated from those who I love so dearly that I would do anything to protect them. But that's why I had to leave; I had to keep them safe. And they, knowing what I was sacrificing, had the grace to let me go without a word of protest. If they had shouted to me, all I did would be in vain.

We were already on the run from the enemy, the Fire Nation, when we stumbled upon their trap. An alcove hidden in the woods, not part of the natural lands, but made by the hands of a secreted adversary, contained veiled soldiers with their weapons poised. Toph knew they were there, but there was no other way to escape. The mountains blocked the east, the oceans by the west, evil came from behind, and evil lay ahead.

The mountains were too deadly to flee to, the wicked creatures inside too much of an opponent. We did what we had to do. We hid. There was a group of dense bushes, and as the enemy approached from behind, Sokka accidentally tripped on a root.

A few shifted toward the direction of the noise, while the rest conversed with a few of the hidden soldiers, no doubt asking of any signs. It was a miracle they had not spotted us before. However, as they approached, we knew we would be found. There was nowhere else to run, no place for us to hide.

I did it on instinct, a whim. As the footsteps got louder as they neared the brush, I turned quickly and grabbed Sokka's hand, giving him a look that clearly spoke _I'm sorry_, and left. When I jumped out of the brush, I startled the soldiers enough to delay them, if only for a second, and I ran. I had a feeling they wouldn't check the brush right away, and I trusted Aang would get them all out safely before they thought of it.

I heard shouting, and footsteps following me. But a dozen firebenders running in heavy armor doesn't exactly match a light-footed Waterbender's speed. I had a feeling we would all be safe, as I heard the sounds of pursuit falling back behind me. When I was sure I had left them far behind me, I slowed enough to take a peek over my shoulder.

The fortunate part: I didn't see a soul. The unfortunate part: I was wrong about the first thing. Even though I couldn't see him, he was there.

A strong arm wrapped around my waist, pinning my arms with it, while another clamped over my mouth, preventing my screams from getting out when I tried to use them. My immediate reaction was to thrash about, to try to shake off the unexpected opponent, but they were too strong. I only struggled harder, ignoring the fact that what I was doing was useless.

I could feel my energy draining from the panic and exertion, and as my attempts got weaker, I heard a dark chuckle in my ear, accompanied by an overwhelming warm breath. "Give up?"

"Never," I hissed as he removed his hand. But my movements had stopped, my brain screaming at me that it was futile and I should save my energy for when the real fighting would happen. There was a river nearby, and if it came down to a fight then the poor firebender would have no chance. I had the advantage on the elements side. However, I couldn't move enough to summon it yet. I would have to exercise patience.

"So what happens now?" I spat venomously, attempting to turn my head and get a good view of my attacker. "Are you going to kill me, or fight me?"

Another dark laugh moved the hair around my temple and cheek. "I won't kill you yet, so don't tempt me. And I have no need to fight a battle that I've already won. _Katara._"

Whatever train of thought I was on ceased. There weren't many Firebenders who knew my name.

"Who are you?" I asked bravely, my voice firm despite how shook up I felt.

"I'm hurt. You don't remember me?" The grip around my waist tightened. "And here I thought I was a very memorable person." Before I knew it, there was a tree against my back, and a thick rope had replaced the arm. I wiggled, trying to squirm out of the trap, but he was faster than I was, and had the rope secured in place before I could weaken it and get free.

I stopped trying. "Show your face, coward," I growled.

"Coward? Quite the opposite." A sigh. "Come on, I know you can figure this out, Katara. Try again."

I concentrated. And then it hit me. The menacing voice, the arrogance, the evil that exuded from him, the knowledge of my name. "_Zuko_," I snarled furiously.

Low applause sounded behind me, and the devil himself stepped into my view wearing a very satisfied smirk. He looked much different than I remembered. The scar was still prominent on his face, he was taller and his hair had grown out some, but there was an underlying hint of something completely different. It made him look . . . off. "Well done. Now, do you think you want to listen to what I have to say, or do you plan on being uncooperative? Because the latter won't result well for you."

I ground my teeth, but said nothing. He smiled. "Good girl. Now, you have something that I need, and I want it. Tell me where the Avatar is, Katara, and I will let you go."

I laughed humorlessly, leaning my head on the tree. "You actually think I would tell you? You're not as intelligent as you believe, then. And even if I did, you wouldn't let me go. You'd keep me, or kill me, or sell me, or whatever crap you Firebenders do to your prisoners. So no, I will _never_ tell you where he is."

Zuko took this silently, his face a mask of cool consideration. He looked me over once, twice, as if he was only seeing me for the first time, and then his eyes came to rest on mine. We stared at each other; my face showing barely contained rage and his showing clinical detachment, for what seemed like hours. Eventually, he said, "Oh well."

The anger was replaced by confusion, and I stared blankly at him. I made an unintelligible noise, a question.

He shrugged. "You're not going to tell me, because I clearly can't force it out of you. However . . ." He trailed off, a wicked glint in his eye. I swallowed.

"However?"

He walked the few steps in between us and gripped my chin, forcing me to look him straight in the eyes. One hand pressed hard into my throat, and suddenly I couldn't breathe. The last thing I heard before rushing blackness took over, were the soft words, "Goodnight, peasant."


	2. Chapter 2

Hands reached toward me. I didn't flinch from them, but stretched my arms out to reach them too, twining my fingers with them. They were warm, and felt safe in my own. I closed my eyes and smiled, and tried to pull them closer, wanting to be near to this sense of security, but they were suddenly gone from my grip and I cried out, reaching out to try and get them back.

A smooth palm touched my face, and I sighed, loving the feeling I was receiving from that simple touch. They were comforting, and so warm.

I frowned. Too warm. They burned me, and I could feel the skin charring. I yelled, twisting, trying to get away from the heated pain, but now they stuck to my skin, welded to it by the heat. Tears slipped down my face, sizzling when they reached the hand. I slumped, feeling my very life slip from underneath me.

* * *

Waves lapped at the shoreline where Aang, Sokka, Toph, and I had camped the night before, when we had escaped from the firebenders yet again. The sound of water made me feel reassured, as it always did.

"Aang," I murmured, not bothering to open my eyes. "We should keep moving." Who knows how long until the next attack?

Silence.

"Aang?" I opened my eyes. I was greeted by the sight of metal bars; dozens placed vertically in a small doorway to create a makeshift cell. Three other walls were made of solid iron, and would give me enough room to stand and stretch my arms to the opposing sides. The whole place smelled of salt and rust.

Horrified, I stood up, gripping the bars tight enough to turn my knuckles a pale ivory color. A quiet "Oh no…" slipped through my lips, and I whipped around, searching for a window or any place that I might be able to summon water from. There was none, and I cursed colorfully under my breath.

It had all happened. The Fire Nation had captured me. No, _Zuko_ had captured me.

A raw, painful fury burned its way through me. I would _not_ be kept here if I did not choose to be. He could knock me out and bring me here, but he could not keep me.

Speaking of that, where was here? Where was Zuko? Where was anything? All there was metal and salt and stale dampness that made me gag when I inhaled. I let go of the bars and clutched my stomach, feeling it twisting with the poisonous tasting air.

Be calm, I reprimanded myself. Weakness will not get you sympathy—it will get you death.

I stood on shaky legs, and suddenly realized that it wasn't my legs wobbling after all. It was the ground I was standing on. No, it was not that either—it was the whole _room_ that was moving.

As a kid, I always went out on the water in boats with my father and brother, and we would twist the waves and take pleasure in the way the craft rocked beneath us. But once, I accidentally made an enormous wave that rocked the boat so hard I thought it would split in two.

This was like that, only much worse. I could sense it, through the heaps of metal beneath me, the ocean rocking the ship I could only assume I was on. They were taking me away; away from my friends, my family, everything I had ever known. I knew without a doubt where we were headed, where I was being taken. I was going to a place of heat, harm, hate—or to use a better word: hell.

I was going to the Fire Nation.

_Clang._

My head snapped to the wall of bars, and I took on an immediate bending stance, realizing a second later that it would do me no good here. Still, it was comforting to keep the position, to keep a semblance of protection.

"Who's there?" I asked in an even voice, for which I was very proud of.

A low chuckle sounded outside the cell, echoing off various walls. "Show yourself," I said a bit louder.

A bloom of light sprung up right outside the cell. No, not light: fire. It gave some brightness to the chamber, and allowed me to see the man standing outside of it.

An unintentional snarl escaped my lips, startling me. Of course it was him. Who else would I be lucky enough to spend long hours of torturous isolation with? There was no one whose face I would not have rather seen.

He cracked a smile, which made me want to lunge forward and claw it off his face. "Room enough in there? I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable."

I slowly relaxed my fighting stance, but kept a vigilant eye on him in case things got violent, and I wasn't the one causing it. "It's lovely."

He shook his head. "I'd hate to be stuck in there. Who knows how many people have bled on the walls."

I couldn't help but shiver in fear. I stood a bit taller, though, and said, "So? When are they coming?"

"When are who coming?"

"The torturers," I said simply, as if it were an obvious fact. "I can only assume you're going to get them, have them cut me up, burn me for information. Then kill me when I refuse. Or just keep me and torture me some more. Or, maybe you'll have some of your crew rape me. Or maybe, and this is the big one, you're going to do all of that yourself. But, then again, maybe you don't want to get your clothes dirty."

He took this silently, but I could see rage simmering under the surface of his face. Abruptly, he had the door of the small room open, and was grabbing me by the collar of my shirt, roughly pushing me between his arm and the metal wall. His golden eyes were furious, and a mere inch from mine, and I could feel his hot breath fanning out over my face as he exhaled hard with anger.

"Listen here, Waterbender. You may look at the Fire Nation and see nothing but evil, but I don't give a damn about that. You will not speak to me as if I were a malicious piece of filth. I am a prince, your superior, and I will not take being called a torturer or a rapist. Do you understand me?" I didn't answer, and he shook me as best he could with me pressed between his fist and the wall. "I said: do you understand?"

I smiled pleasantly at him, and leaned forward to say sweetly in his ear. "Of course _Prince_ Zuko."

He growled deep in his throat and shoved back so the three feet in the cell separated us. As soon as it had come, the angry expression disappeared from his face, and he looked calmly at me, as if we were about to have a nice chat about the weather.

Mood swings, much?

"So," he said casually. "Thirsty?"

Yes, actually, I was. But I said nothing, knowing I wouldn't get any even if I did. "Of course you are."

Still, I said nothing, only stared at him without feeling. "Would you like some water?"

Again, no reply. "If you want water, please ask me. I wouldn't want you to be thirsty."

Still, my silence resounded through the small cell. A sigh broke it. Zuko disappeared through the chamber door, not bothering to close it behind him. I frowned.

I stood frozen for several minutes, waiting for the return of the arrogant bastard. After five minutes of nothing, I took a tentative step toward the open door, and then froze.

Nothing.

I ground my teeth. It was a trick. That's all everything about the Fire Nation was: trickery. I would step outside the cell and have half my face burned off, ending up with a scar more prominent and angry than Zuko's. Well, I would not play into their waiting hands like a fool.

I backed up against the wall, sliding down so I could sit on the hard floor, and tried to look as unconcerned and relaxed as I could. I crossed my legs, resting my hands loosely on my knees, closed my eyes, and hummed quietly to myself.

Another few minutes later, I heard the sound of distant footsteps approaching. Once they reached my cell, they stopped abruptly, the sound of someone caught off guard. After a few heartbeats, they drew closer again, taking my hand off of my knee and placing something in it.

My eyes snapped open, coming to rest on a glass of water in my hand. I smiled wickedly, but caught a fist of fire out of the corner of my eye, and slumped. I stared at the glass for a couple more beats, then used my bending to slowly take it from the glass, swirling it around in the air in front of me. Zuko tensed, but I just continued to watch it, smiling inwardly. It was so nice just to look at water, observe it.

After a moment, I led the water to my mouth and drank it slowly, savoring the taste. When it was gone, I looked up at Zuko, whose gaze had not left me the whole time. "Let me go," I said quietly. So quietly, that he wouldn't have been able to hear me if the whole place had not been so silent.

"Tell me where the Avatar is," he replied.

I shook my head. "I will never tell you where he is."

"Then you will never leave." He said it as if it were a fact.

I laughed softly. "Even if I wanted to tell you, I would never be able to say. He knows what I sacrificed. They'll be gone by now, headed somewhere new."

"Then you must know their destination."

I shrugged in an unladylike manner. "It is where you or any other member of the Fire Nation is not. And there are many places that could be."

"But still, he'll come looking for you. You're precious to his little gang. And your brother, well, he's your brother. He won't leave you with me."

"With you," I repeated, to myself. Then, to him, "Aang knows I can take care of myself. Even with you, he knows how strong I am. You can't keep me Zuko. I'm like water," I smiled wryly. "Slippery. Can't really hold it."

He stared at me. "We'll see."

He turned to go, but my words stopped him. "So that's it? You come, you ask the standard questions, you give me water, and you leave? Well that's… boring."

"Boring?" He sounded genuinely confused, like the word was unfamiliar.

"Yeah, well, what do you expect me to do in this place all day? Eventually, I'll go so mad that I won't even remember what my name is, much less where Aang is." There wasn't even a hint in my voice to show I was joking. And I was completely serious.

"Well, I could always give you the tour, but it's been a long time since any of my crew has seen a woman. I wouldn't risk them seeing you if I were you."

I shivered slightly, but stood. "And how long has it been since you have seen a woman Zuko?"

He looked startled, but said, "A while, I suppose."

"And it is not risky to have you visit me down here, all alone?" I knew I was baiting him, but Playing with the Prince was such a fun game.

He looked me up and down once, and then said, "You are not temptation for me, Waterbender."

I sighed. "Here is another thing that irritates me. You know my name. I'd like it if you used it instead of just calling me 'Waterbender.'"

He gazed at me with hollow eyes.

"Katara," I coaxed. "Katara."

He was silent for a long moment. "Katara," he said at last.

I managed to smile lightly at him. "Zuko," I said.

His eyes narrowed. "That's Prince Zuko to you."

"Sure thing, Zuko."

"You're walking on thin ice, you know."

"So? I can just bend it so I don't fall through." My attempts at humor weren't going very far, with either of us.

He scowled, and bent to pick something up that was outside of the cell, tossing it to me as he straightened. I caught it, unfolding a pair of black pants and a blood red shirt.

"You're filthy," he said.

"Isn't that what a bath is for?"

He looked disgustedly at me. "Like I would let you near that much water. Just change."

"Well would you leave? I am a _woman_ after all. It's still more for my sake, though. I have my dignity left to keep intact."

He glanced at me with the briefest flicker of curiosity at my unfaltering calm, before locking my cell door and turning away. As he walked down the hall, I heard his voice floating behind him, saying words that made my stomach clench in fear.

"Not for long."


	3. Chapter 3

It became routine. I'd fall asleep somewhere in the morning, after trying futilely for hours to close my eyes, and then wake not even an hour later by the dreams that would surely invade my head. Then I would stare at the wall, thinking about everything, and thinking about nothing. Zuko would come with a cup of water and a small bit of food, and ask me where the Avatar was. When I didn't give him the answer he wanted, he would leave, and I would resume staring at the wall. Hours later, he would show up again, with fresh clothes in the color of the Fire Nation and ask me the same questions again, in hopes that my mind would be changed. It never was.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, it registered that he shouldn't even have bothered bringing me new clothes. Yes, I was glad that I could change, because the cell was not in the least bit clean, and nor was my skin at that. But still, it bothered me to no end.

And as to his questions, what could I say? I really didn't know where Aang was. Not that I would say if I did, but the man must know that I don't have the slightest clue. Aang could be on the upper deck having tea with the captain for all I knew about his location.

And so, with those thoughts being the only company I had, I stared at that wall hour after hour, day after day, wondering where I was, where my family was, where Aang was, when we would come to dock in the Fire Nation, and where I would be buried once Azula or Ozai got tired of my existence. Probably just thrown off the edge of a cliff.

I was having a particularly intriguing thought about how I would be killed one day, when I heard the distant footsteps that signified Zuko was coming. He rounded the corner and unlocked my cell, setting a cup of water, an apple, and a piece of bread down in front of me. As he opened his mouth to ask the inevitable question, I cut him off.

"Zuko, I don't see the point," my voice sounded distant to my ears. "I don't know where he is anymore than you do. So why don't we get the unavoidable end over with."

"What 'unavoidable end?'" He asked tiredly, already used to my badgering him about my death.

"The one where I die. Please, don't spare my conscience, I know it's coming. I'm just dead weight anyway." I truly meant it too; I knew I wasn't coming out alive.

We stared at each other for a long, long moment. His expression was completely unreadable, but I was used to that by now. Eventually, he said, "Get up."

I did as I was told, and studiously looked past his right shoulder to the darkness behind, waiting. This was it then, this was the end.

"Come closer," he said.

I did, but he didn't kill me. Instead he walked around to my back and grabbed my shoulder, pushing me forward. I complied, albeit a bit confusedly.

"Where are we going?" I asked, a sudden eagerness entering my voice at the prospect of getting out of this dungeon.

"My room," he said from behind me.

My eyes widened more than I thought humanly possible, and I whipped around, effectively shaking his arm off of me. _His_ room? _HIS_ room? No way in hell. If _that_ was what he had in mind, then the next thing going into his mind will be my foot.

Zuko took this act silently, and then rolled his eyes, topping it off with a theatrical sigh. "For the love of Agni, Katara, get your mind out of the gutter. I wouldn't defile you like that. I'm not a total and utter asshole, you know. I'm taking you there so you can bathe."

"Bathe?" I repeated, dropping my stance. Maybe it wasn't the smartest idea to automatically trust his words like that, but he had made it perfectly clear that I was no more than a filthy water peasant to him.

"Yeah, soap, water—"

"Naked. I know the drill. What I'm asking is _why_. You already made it obvious that I wouldn't be let around that much water."

He smirked maliciously at me. "We're almost to the city. You have to look decent, blend in even. The people won't take well to having one of your kinds in the city, even if you are a prisoner. I still have use for you, so it won't do to have them rip you to shreds. And as to the water, you won't try it."

I raised a challenging eyebrow. "What makes you so sure?"

His smirk turned to a sneer. "I'll be waiting outside, and if I even suspect that you're bending, I will go in and take you down. And I'm sure you don't want me bursting in on you in the tub."

I scowled. He was right. Prisoner or not, I'll be damned if he gets to see me naked. "Fine, I'll play along. But what about your father, or your sister? What happens when they find out about me?"

He didn't even blink. "They already know, and I've made it perfectly clear that I am in control of you, and that neither of them has any right to you."

My anger spiked again, stronger. "Control of me? Right to me? You have neither of those, _prince_," I mocked.

"On the contrary, I think I do."

I couldn't help myself, so don't think about me as the little girl with the short temper. It made me so livid that he thought he was in control of me that I lashed out at him, kicking him square in the chest. He stumbled back a few steps, surprised, but quickly recovered, moving to block the next kick I aimed at him.

Soon, we were full out fighting, neither of us bothering to use our elements, even though he could. This was a total hate fight. We were getting out all of our feeling toward the other with our physical blows.

I aimed to punch him in the jaw, but he caught my wrist, yanking it behind my back. I moved my head forward, and flew it back so hard that I heard a loud _smack_ when it hit his skull. He released his grip reflexively, and I took the opportunity of his injury to bend and kick his legs out from underneath him.

He rolled onto his back, and kicked me in the stomach, sending my sprawling onto my back as well. In a second, he was on me, one knee pressed hard into my stomach, and his hands pinning my arms to either side of me, twisting them so my elbows grinded against the hard floor of the ship.

"Enough," he snarled at me. "Is that any way to treat royalty, Waterbender?"

I growled right back at him, "Royalty? Says the banished prince. You have no right to that throne any more than a dirty beggar on the street. You are nothing to me, _nothing_. You have zero control over what I do."

His hands tightened around me, and I could feel the pulse in each fingertip. "You think I have no control over you? Your life is in my hands. If you had known that by keeping you down here, I was keeping you safe, you might be feeling a little more grateful. I could have had you tortured or raped like you had said, but I didn't. I could even kill you right now if I wanted to. I could do anything I please, and you wouldn't be able to stop me. So, yes, I think I have control over you." His eyes blazed.

I swallowed the revulsion I had at his words. He makes me sick, I thought to myself. Just plain sick. "Get off of me," I choked out past the nausea.

He glared silently at me for a minute before flinging himself off of me, pulling my body up roughly with his. His grip hadn't loosened in the slightest; in fact it had tightened even more. "Look at me," he ordered. I did so reluctantly, smothering the urge to spit in his face. "Pull any more shit like that and you're going straight to Azula when we arrive. Understand?"

I nodded, barely. He released his grip, and I felt the blood rush back into my fingers with a vengeance. I turned around, and he grabbed my wrists tightly again, and pinned them behind me. I couldn't help but smirk to myself. He had absolutely no control.

* * *

Bathing could possibly have been the greatest thing to ever happen to me.

Well, that was an obvious lie, but after spending countless days stuck in a crappy cell, covered in dirt I had acquired beforehand and grime from the grubby room, it felt like the best experience of my life. I washed myself until the water turned brown, and then I drained the water and washed myself again. By the time I was done, I'm sure I was cleaner than I had ever been in my whole life. My hair, tangled and knotty, was the only problem. I was able to bend water bit by bit through my hair to get the worst knots out, and it fell down to my waist in a grateful heap, smelling faintly of lavender.

After I had stepped out of the tub, I realized suddenly that I couldn't change back into my old clothes; they were covered in muck, the blue covered by the brown. Wrapping a towel around myself, I exited the bathroom, letting all the steam out behind me into the room.

Zuko sat in a chair across the room, reading a book. My grip reflexively tightened on my towel when he looked up at me. I wasn't sure, but I think I saw his lips part in surprise before he quickly shut his mouth and closed his book. I flushed unexpectedly, suddenly aware and frustrated that my towel was not nearly as long as I wished it was.

Ho stood, awkwardly avoiding his gaze from me, and gestured absently toward the bed. "Wear that." His commanded. He stood there a moment longer, before hastily exiting the room. I nearly laughed out loud. Not temptation, my right eye.

When he left, I looked to the outfit on the bed. It was a simple red dress, standard Fire Nation clothing, nothing special. I dropped my towel and slipped the dress on, glancing swiftly into the mirror. I looked like a piece of Fire Nation crap. I turned to the door and shouted in what I hoped was an obnoxious way, "I'm ready!"

Zuko opened the door, looking pleased. "We're here."

I turned to look out the window, and had to stop a gasp from escaping my lips. The city was absolutely beautiful. The main island was situated in the crater of a volcano, and though the Fire Nation was very humid and should sport a lot of different vegetation, the plant life that should be thriving was all but gone. Where there were not streets filled with houses and shops, there were vast plains with dry, parched grass. However, the city was stunning in it's architectural setup. There were areas of low built houses, and some areas of very tall buildings, making it look confusing but intriguing at the same time.

In the center of the whole thing rose the palace like a gold and red bird from the fire of the nation. The gold roof reflected the rays of the sun, making the city shine with radiant light. Despite the abject hate I had for the country, I couldn't deny the beauty of such a place.

A rough tug on my wrist brought my attention away from the city and back to the boat. Zuko looked impatient. "Come on," he said. "We're leaving this place."

I followed. "You sound like you don't like it here."

He snorted. "Why should I?"

I shrugged. "Never mind."

We walked through the deserted halls of the ship; me trailing behind by my wrist which he had a tight hold of. The whole place smelled of dank rust and mold, and I held my breath most of the time until we reached the upper deck.

A rather old and chubby man strode over to Zuko and I once we emerged from below. He smiled at both of us in turn. "Well Zuko, you didn't tell me how pretty this young one is."

I simply stared at him, and Zuko sighed. "Katara, this is my uncle Iroh. Uncle, this is Katara. She's a _prisoner._" He sounded annoyed.

Iroh looked sternly at his nephew. "That may be so, but she is also a lady. Shouldn't you be treating her as one?"

Zuko scowled. "She is an enemy of the Fire Nation, therefore she receives no special treatment, lady or not. You should know this."

"I may know it, but that does not mean I respect it." Iroh beamed at me. "You should let me escort her into the city, Prince Zuko. It has been a while since I had a beautiful woman to share this country with."

Zuko stiffened. "I'm not sure that is the wisest idea, Uncle. Let me handle this. She is my responsibility after all."

The older man pouted in a childlike manner. "Very well. But you be nice to her now. She may be here because of the Avatar, but that does not mean you cannot treat her like a guest."

I had come to the conclusion that perhaps Iroh was not entirely sane.

After he had left to Agni-knows-where, Zuko pulled me over to where a ramp led off the ship and onto a dock. He talked to a few guards and led me to a carriage of sorts, painted red, gold, and white. As it lurched forward onto the cobblestone streets, I couldn't help but ask, "How long has it been since you've been here?"

He looked startled, but his expression quickly turned into a scowl. "It doesn't matter."

"You've been chasing Aang and the rest of us for quite some time, I can't even remember the last time we weren't afraid of being hunted down and captured. How long has it been since you've been home?"

He looked out the window for several minutes. Finally, he said, "A while. A long while."

"Doesn't that make you sad?"

His face hardened. "No," he said shortly.

A feeling of pity welled inside of me momentarily, before disappearing completely. It wasn't my concern, and I didn't care.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. He looked stonily out the window, and I kept my gaze trained on my hands, clasped firmly on my lap. The ride lasted several hours before we finally reached the palace.

When we did, Zuko swung the door out immediately, and then offered his hand to me. I ignored him and jumped down myself, landing lightly on my feet. He fixed me with a glare, but led the way into the palace, guards surrounding us. I looked at them warily.

The inside, if possible, was even grander than the outside. The walls were painted red but covered with images of past Fire Lords, places in the Fire Nation, or just fire in general. How cliché. There were intricately patterned tiles placed in the floor, various plants along the walls, and red and white furniture was laid from place to place to place along the ground. But I didn't have too much time to admire.

"Zuko," a falsely sweet voice called out, causing both of us to tense and turn. "How nice to have you home again. And you brought the water peasant too. How lovely."

It was Azula.


	4. Chapter 4

_Previously…_

"_Zuko," a falsely sweet voice called out, causing both of us to tense and turn. "How nice to have you home again. And you brought the water peasant too. How lovely."_

_It was Azula._

* * *

"Hello sister," said Zuko, his shoulders tense. I looked back and forth between the two before my gaze rested on Princess Crazy. There was the typical sibling resemblance between the two, but Azula looked seriously—and it may have just been a trick of light, perhaps, but was in all honesty far too real—disturbed. In a way that suggested complete and utter lunacy.

Azula smiled at him, but I could see the bitter malice hidden under her deceptive grin. "It's been quite some time, hasn't it? We have a lot to catch up on."

He nodded stiffly. "Of course."

She spread her hands and swiveled her gaze to me. Immediately, I could see a twinge of disgust on her usually composed features. "Oh, where are my manners? Hello there, Waterbender. I'm sorry, I seem to have forgotten your name…"

I opened my mouth, but Zuko beat me to it. "Katara."

She looked to him. "Please, Zuzu, I'm sure she can answer herself." Her attention turned back to me. "So how did you come to travel with my dear brother here?" Her eyes glinted, and I know she knew the answer already. I wanted to kick her. Hard.

I responded anyway, refusing to be cruel or sardonic, despite my less than positive feelings. I wasn't particularly in the mood to fry from a lightning bolt. "I was kidnapped." I lifted my head higher, jutting my chin out in a defiant manner. "I wouldn't choose to be here for anything."

Her smile turned into a spiteful smirk. "That's right, isn't it? You're just a captive. In that case, take her away Zuko. My skin crawls just being near the peasant."

He nodded again, eyes briefly flitting to me before returning to his sister. "I assume you have a room ready for her. I did specify that it be a _room_ and not a dungeon. If it were up to me I wouldn't care, but Uncle…" The sentence implied something nasty would befall the banished prince if he were to defy the old general, also his close companion.

Oh how sweet of him.

Azula grinned so wide I thought her face might split in half. "Of course she's got decent living arrangements, little brother. What do you take me for?" I resisted the urge to answer. "But there's been a small problem. The guards don't have the time to watch over the little peasant, what with all the preparations and need to defend the actual _royalty_"—she shot Zuko a pointed look of veiled hatred, which he graciously ignored, and then shot me a not-so-veiled look—"so we had to put her in a room where there was already an occupant." She managed to hint at a sneer through her crazy smirk.

"And?"

I glared at him. Of course he didn't care where I was put. I could be sharing a room with a soldier who had less than honorable intentions about keeping a female captive in their bedroom, and he wouldn't mind what they did to me, the son of a—

"And it's your room." Her grin was positively feral. I gaped, my brain momentarily dead but for one screaming question: WHAT?

Zuko glowered at his sister, narrowing his eyelids dangerously. "I'm not sure that's the best idea. I do have a lot to sort out and—"

"Nonsense, Zuko, I have everything under control," Azula said with a vicious expression. Her claw-like fingers twitched. "In fact, you're going to have a lot of spare time on your hands. I know dad accepted you back with a shred of honor because of your accomplishments, but you're still not that vital to the war quite yet." She managed to say this quite cheerily. "Surely you are capable of watching over her for the time you'll be staying here. After all, you did say that she was your responsibility."

I actually wanted to laugh at that. Stupid prince was eating his own words. Speaking of that prince, he looked like he wanted to burn the world to ashes and dust in his anger. It amused me. But still, I was not at all pleased at this outcome. I couldn't stand the mere minutes together on the ship with the boy, and now I was supposed to share a room with him? Not to mention his less than trustworthiness was a problem too. A _big_ problem. He may say being around a girl was no problem for him, but what about being around one nearly _all the time?_ And sharing a room with one too? There were definitely going to be some setbacks to this plan.

"There's no possibility of finding a more suitable arrangement?" Zuko asked through his teeth. I could see the blood vessels straining in his neck, and the tinge of red on his cheeks.

"Nope," said Azula cheerfully, before turning on her heel and striding out of the room without a second glance.

Zuko swore under his breath. I let out a quick laugh, to which he turned and glared intensely at me. "Find something funny?"

I looked at him with a sweet smile. "I'm going to make your life hell."

* * *

As we walked silently throughout the rest of the palace, I couldn't help but think about escape. I mean, who wouldn't? But looking around at the surrounding edifice, my hopes about getting out were immediately squashed. The building was like a fortress, and no one got in or out if the Fire Lord had any say in it. And _yes_, he had a bit of say in that. The intricately designed and royal looking rooms may seem like a normal residence, albeit a bit larger, but they were by far easy to flee from.

Zuko's room, however, was significantly different from the others. And by different, I mean there was nothing in it. Only an enormous bed and a door that led to a closet. Nothing else. The walls were even bleached of the traditional red, and were a simple creamy white color, but were adorned with a large array of torches, which Zuko lit half of while leaving the other half in complete blackness. The room was even larger than any normal room without the endless shadows, but with them the enormous space seemed it could stretch on forever.

But as far as I was concerned, there was a bed, and that was all I wanted. Weeks of sitting in a cramped little cell made entirely of stone did not work wonders for the back. So the first thing I did was sit on the edge before falling backwards onto it, letting out a relieved sigh.

"What are you doing?"

I lifted my head to see an annoyed Zuko staring at me. I stared back, emotionless. "I'm laying in this wonderful bed. I haven't exactly been enjoying that wonderful rock cell for the past…however-long-it's-been." I let my head fall back again.

"Well don't get used to it. You're not sleeping in my bed with me."

I huffed. "Your Uncle was right, you know. I _am_ a lady. Shouldn't that earn me some civility at least?"

I heard him come toward me, and then his hand clamped around my wrist, pulling me up like a rag doll. He started to say something, probably something with the words "peasant," "prisoner," and "not a lady" in it, but I cut him off, almost in exasperation despite how I was being manhandled.

"You know, I'm starting to think you like having me around, Zuko. Always grabbing me, finding all opportunities to 'make sure I don't escape' or something. Most girls take that as a sign meaning you _like_ them." I raised an eyebrow at his floored expression. "So? Does that mean you're beginning to like me, prince?"

He immediately let go of his hold on my wrist, stepping back a step. Well, I wasn't going to let him go so easily without playing with him a little more. So I shadowed that step, nearly pressing myself against him. "Well, Zuko? Do you?" I taunted.

He looked positively panicked now. I leaned in even closer; my toes now flush with his. "Zuko," I sang.

He swallowed. "The bed. You're welcome to it."

I smiled sweetly at him, before patting his cheek patronizingly. "Thank you." _Ha!_

I turned and strode back over to the bed, collapsing onto my back. I stared at the high ceiling, fingering the red silk that was my dress. I wasn't particularly tired, so I turned my head toward Zuko. He was staring at his feet like they were the most interesting things in the universe.

"So," I said casually. "You're sister is really up there on the crazy scale now. It's kind of scary."

His head snapped up, pinning me with a suspicious glare. I raised an eyebrow at him. He relaxed slightly, and I could swear I saw the briefest flash of a smile on his face before it disappeared. Probably wouldn't be seeing that expression again for a while. "Yeah, she's a bit different than she was before."

"Oh?" I laughed. "And was she any better?"

His expression hardened. "Not particularly."

I bit my lip. There were so many questions I wanted to ask, about his childhood, about his family, and there were so many answers I knew I would never get. I turned my whole body toward him, propping my head up on my elbow so I could see him better. He was now staring absently at the wall. The air filled with a thick, heavy silence.

I sighed. "Oh, sit down will you? You're making me nervous."

He stood stock still for a moment, a glare evident on his scarred face, before coming to sit down stiffly on the bed next to me. I eyed the armor he still wore. "Isn't that stuff kinda heavy?" I asked, rapping my knuckles on the shoulder protector.

"No," he said shortly. I let out a noise of exasperation.

"Will you _relax_ please? Seriously. Loosen up."

His eyes narrowed, and his mouth bore the semblance of a snarl. "You are the most irritating person I have ever met in my whole life. I'm not here to be comfortable with you. You're still just a prisoner that I'm using as bait to lure the Avatar into my clutches. If that wasn't the case, I might not even let you live," he was leaning threateningly toward me, I moved instinctively away. "Don't pretend as if we mean anything to the other. Just accept that we are enemies and leave me well alone." There was an implied _or else_ at the end of his sentence.

I blinked several times. I wanted to open my mouth and tell him that he was bluffing, but I didn't want to find out what would happen if he wasn't. But it wasn't as if I would simply back down and do what he said. The man needed a healthy does of waterbender to take him down a peg.

I batted my eyelashes. "And here I thought we were finally on the road to friendship." A sigh. "I guess I'll just have to try harder."

"Oh no you won't. Just because we're being forced to share a room doesn't mean we have to be even slightly civil to each other."

"But isn't being civil to each other exactly what we should do since we're sharing a room?"

"No," he snapped. "What do you think this is? A joke? This is a _war!_ And we're on opposing sides, peasant!"

"Katara," I snapped back, pushing myself up on my forearm so I could better yell at him. "My name is Katara. And do you think I believe this is a joke? I am hundreds, thousands, of miles from my friends, my home, everything I'm comfortable with! A cocky, arrogant, childish prince took me and I have no means to get back to the place I belong! If you think I'm here to joke around, then you're far denser than I thought. I want to be with Aang trying to save the world, I want to be with my brother and his stupid jokes, I want to be with my father who I haven't seen in years, and I want to be with my mother. But I can't! Because _your_ people killed her! And _you're_ currently holding me here and preventing me from going back! So if you think I'm just joking around, you're mistaken."

I took a deep breath. "None of this is my fault. The only thing I can truly place the blame on is the Fire Nation. And you have played the biggest part in my hatred."

His breathing was shallow and angry, and I feared that I had gone too far, that he would strike me, but he made no violent move. Instead he whispered in a voice that was worse than if he had shouted, "Before you're so quick to pin the blame, you might want to bother to figure out the real story."

I stared back defiantly. "Then tell me the real story."

"You're not ready to hear it," he whispered.

I realized that there was a limited amount of air in my lungs from my angry rants, so I laid back down, staring resolutely at the ceiling, trying to calm my breaths as to not show him how flustered I really was.

After a few moments of silence, I whispered boldly, "When you're ready to tell me, just let me know. I don't think I'm going anywhere."

We lapsed into a tense silence, and I could feel the heat of his anger, quite literally. The room was so hot I started to sweat. Quite some later, as I was fighting my now drooping eyelids, Zuko spoke again. "Azula is going to have a little chat with you tomorrow."

My eyes widened, but I spoke in a forcibly relaxed tone. "Oh? Is that so?"

"I suspect she'll try to get information out of you. I told her of how stubborn you were, but we both know she's a bit less…merciful." He sounded a tad bit smug, but also a sort of annoyed, like he didn't approve of her being crueler than him. "I remember the ways she used to torture any innocent thing she could get her hands on." He spared me a glance. "She'll destroy you using any means to get what she wants."

I ignored the threat. "She should know that I won't say anything."

He chuckled lowly. "You must not know Azula like I do. She will tear down anything in her path."

"Must run in the family," I grumbled. He cast me a look that I caught out of the corner of my eye, but I ignored it.

It was in this moment that I realized I really had to use the bathroom. I shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how to ask, and a little bit embarrassed to voice my thoughts.

Come one Katara, I thought to myself. Grow up.

"Uh…Zuko?" I asked hesitantly.

"Hmm?" Came the short response.

"I need to, uh, use the, um…"

A pause. "Oh. Right." He lit a torch across the room with firebending, illuminating another door on the dark side of the room.

"Thanks," I muttered, crossing over to the door, when I heard his voice from behind me again.

"If you even try bending the water, I will come in, and I will kill you."

I turned back to him, a small, malicious smile making its way to my lips, remembering the similar threat on the warship. "I really don't think you could take me." I walked into the bathroom and slammed the door before he could respond. Or, at least, I tried to slam it. The tail of my dress got caught in the door. Trying to be as dignified about it as I could, I opened the door, removed the traitorous red fabric, and slammed it for real this time. The desired effect was completely lost.

Grinding my teeth in frustration, I went through my duties in the bathroom. Finished, I stood in front of a floor length mirror, incredulously taking in what I refused to notice on the ship.

I looked stunningly… _ridiculous._

My dark skin looked beautiful in contrast the brilliant red dress, which hung gracefully off my body like an upside-down flower. I still hated the thing; it showed far too much skin for my liking. My hair, which was loose and fell to my waist in curls, a style I never, ever wore, was smooth from my recent bath, albeit a bit tangled and frizzy from the intense heat and humidity of the Fire Nation. My face, usually streaked with dirt, looked normal and clean now, but somehow older than I remembered. Gone was the innocence from my eyes, and the constant smile from my lips. Now, there was just a war stricken sixteen year old girl, fighting to survive and cope while having to deal with an annoyingly dominant eighteen year old boy who did everything he could to strip her freedom from her. I looked beautiful. I looked foreign.

It was disgusting.

Ashamed at my reflection, and at how Fire Nation it looked, I stalked out of the bathroom. Zuko had apparently stripped his armor, as it was lying in a heap on the floor next to his bed. He was currently in the process of stripping his shirt off.

"_What are you doing?" _I tried to screech, but it came out as more of a squeak.

He tossed the article to the floor. "I'm changing for bed, obviously. It's gotten kind of late, if you hadn't noticed."

"No, I hadn't," I said in a slightly more controlled voice, trying to avoid looking at his nicely toned body, and very luckily succeeding. "I'm kind of trapped in a windowless room, if you didn't know." He shrugged, running a hand through his loose black hair. I swallowed.

He moved all his armor into the closet, and came out holding a black t-shirt and red pants. "Here," he said, tossing them carelessly toward me. They landed in a puddle at my feet. I made no move to grab them. "Well?" he asked impatiently, as it seemed I wasn't planning on picking them up any time soon.

"Are those…your clothes?"

"Clearly. I assume you don't want to sleep in…that," he gestured to the dress-like outfit I was wearing. I tugged at the fabric so that it might cover more of my stomach.

"Right," I mumbled, retreating to the bathroom once more.

Fully clothed, and much more satisfied with the coverage of this outfit, I exited the room, dropping the offending dress in a pile by the bed.

"I suppose we should get you more clothes…" Zuko trailed off, as I came to sit on the bed with my legs folded under me, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "Since it seems you'll be here a while. I would say you could use Azula's, but you're a lot smaller than her soldier-like build."

"And I doubt she's approve of a 'Water Tribe peasant' wearing her clothes," I said.

"There's also that." He said with a hidden smile.

I decided that I was sufficiently tired, and was eager to slip into unconsciousness. I laid down on the bed with a yawn, brushing one of many stray hairs away from my face, my hair seemingly intent on taking up the entirety of the pillow. It was far too hot to get under the covers, so I lay on top of them, stretching my ankles so that they popped.

Zuko lay down on the covers next to me—well, sort of next to me; the bed was big enough to leave four feet of distance between us—inconveniently offering me the full sight of his naked torso. I rolled over to face the wall.

Without another word, I fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

There was something warm touching my stomach. Something rather warm indeed. Warily, I opened my eyes.

The first emotion I felt was relief. I was afraid that during the night I might have moved closer to Zuko, creating the moment most fanfiction writers try to capture to conveniently make a comfortable physical bond between the heroine and darkly handsome villain. But thank Tui and La that was not the case.

However, this writer still likes to make the heroine squirm a tiny bit. Therefore, I awoke to the feeling of Zuko's fingertips brushing the exposed skin of my stomach where my shirt must have drifted up a few modest inches during my fitful sleep.

Awkward.

I rolled over, effectively causing his slide off over my waist, leaving a trail of natural Firebender heat in its wake. Tugging self-consciously on the black shirt, I sat up with a groan. Our fight from the previous day clearly did not agree with my freshly awakened muscles. They screamed in agony as I stood up, trudging my way to the bathroom.

I ran through my purposes and changed back into the dress I had worn the previous day, which sat rumpled and slightly wrinkled from being in a ball all night long. I splashed some water on my face, bending it over my body and applying a bit of my healing ability to lessen the ache. I hadn't entirely mastered this technique yet, but I was getting pretty close.

Zuko still slept soundly when I opened the door, and a devious smile lit my face. I summoned some water to my hand, and crept closer to him, circling the bed while shaping my water into a snowball.

He shifted while he slept, and I froze, but relaxed when he merely turned onto his back, giving me a more advantageous angle to strike. Nearing his side, I leaned onto my toes, and pounced.

Maybe it wasn't the best thought out plan, or the most mature or reasonable way to enact payback, but it was my small bit of rebellion and it had the desired effect. As I literally jumped on top of him, smashing my snowball into his face, he awoke with a spluttering gasp, flailing a bit under my weight and the wake-up surprise.

I rolled off of him before he had a chance to throw me off, and dissolved in hysterical laughter. His face was priceless. It was a mixture of surprise, fear, and the mortification that he may have screamed. Tears practically streamed down my face as I continued to laugh at Zuko, who was now sitting up and glaring at me with an expression of barely controlled anger, globs of snowing melting and sliding off of his dark hair, dampening the sheets.

"I don't really care if you punish me for that, it was worth the pitiful look on your face," I choked out between gasps for air.

He simply continued to glare, before gritting out, "Soon you will learn your place, Waterbender."

I finally calmed down enough to reply, "Zuko, face it: we're living together. You got to start calling me by my name."

"Katara," he said in a low voice, and I immediately sobered. Something about him using my name was strange. Not the actual use of my name, but the way he said it. Like it was poisonous, but also precious, and maybe a bit perilous. "Katara, you will learn who your superiors are, and if Azula has to be the one to teach you, so be it."

Oh right. I had to meet with Miss Grim Reaper of the Fire People. "When does she want to see me then?"

"After tonight's dinner. Azula likes to keep her prey in anticipation. The longer the wait, the more paranoid they'll be." He strode to the closet, grabbing himself a shirt and his armor; I averted my eyes from the sight of him still only half clothed.

"I have to meet with the Fire Lord. Don't do anything stupid, or the next thing you know, your skin will be burning away to ash."

I yawned theatrically. "Enough with the threats already, I'm not an idiot. Even if by some chance of miracle I manage to get out of this room, out of this palace, do you really think I'd be able to escape the city? Of course you don't! And nor do I. So leave me alone."

His eyes flashed with a momentary grudging respect. "The servants got you some new clothes. They should be here soon." With that, he opened the door, spilling in harsh golden light, before striding out and shutting it hard behind him. I sighed and fell onto my back.

"What am I supposed to do now?"

* * *

I managed to drift back into a restless sleep, but awoke with a start when the door opened again, and a group of three servants entered Zuko's room. I smiled faintly at them. I could tell they were kind of like me: young girls, trapped here because of the need for money, or possibly for punishment because of something they or their parents did. It wasn't unheard of; Ozai was a ruthless ruler.

They hesitantly entered the room, casting me frightened glances, but mostly keeping their eyes on the boxed they held, or on their feet. They set the boxes down and turned to hastily exit the room, but I quickly called out to them, "What are your names?"

They froze and turned, eyes wide, mouths barely working. They cast each other frightened glances, before the eldest looking one with sleek black hair and a pointed chin spoke.

"My name is Sun," she said firmly, which must have taken a great deal of effort. "And this is Zohra," she gestured to the one with curly dark brown hair, "and Ta," she motioned to the other girl who looked to be about the same age, with black hair pulled back into a ponytail, making her face seem like all angles. "Prince Zuko ordered us to deliver these clothes to his room."

"Thank you," I said with an honest smile. "Why don't you come in and sit down?" I gestured toward the bed, almost begging for company.

Sun looked startled. Ta's head snapped up from where she was staring at her shoes, and I saw with a jolt a few burn marks that marred her face and neck. Zohra was the one that spoke first, her voice wavering slightly. "We have orders to simply deliver the clothes. Prince Zuko would not wish us to stay any longer."

I waved my hand dismissively. "Prince Zuko is not here right now, and I don't think he will be for some time. Besides, I will handle it. I'll see to it that no punishment befalls you if he is displeased."

The three exchanged uneasy glances before unsurely gliding over to the bed to sit next to me. "How old are you?" I asked, folding my legs and facing them, eager.

"I am seventeen," Sun said. "Zohra is fifteen, and Ta is fourteen."

I looked at Ta, nervous about asking my next question. "If you don't mind me asking, Ta, but how did you get those burn marks?"

Ta did not answer, but Zohra's face tightened. "She can't answer you."

"I'm sorry," I apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to pry, I just—"

"No," Sun interrupted, not unkindly, "she _cannot_ answer you. Her vocal chords have been burned away."

Sudden intense anger burned inside of me, stronger than the anger I'd been harboring at Zuko at any one point since I'd been here. I leapt off the bed, pacing the floor with loud, angry footsteps.

"How could they? How could they! Monsters, all of them. Cruel, abusive, evil, immoral firebenders! How could they do this, and to a child! I swear…" My angry ramblings faded into murmured threats. I cursed Zuko out several times.

I stopped pacing, and turned to face three very terrified girls. "Did Zuko do this?" I asked in a low, barely contained voice. "Was he the one to burn her so cruelly?"

Ta shook her head fervently. "It wasn't him," Zohra said for her.

"Was it Azula? One of the nobles? The Fire Lord himself?"

Sun shook her head, and whispered, "It was her father."

I stopped dead. Her own father did this to her? How could any parents even consider harming their own child, much less one so young? What was it about the Fire Nation that turned people into cruel, abusive animals?

"Her father," I stated hoarsely, talking more to myself than anyone else. Sun looked sadly at Ta, who kept her face down, fidgeting. Deciding I'd probably sufficiently ruined their day, I asked in a forcibly brighter tone, "You guys want to hang around here for a while? It gets lonely, and I'm sure that there are not a whole lot of other fun things to do."

Sun looked regretfully at me. "Unfortunately, we have already stayed over the time we should have. I am sorry, miss, but we must go." She rose gracefully and bowed to me. I shook my head at her.

"I am a prisoner. I have no need to be bowed before. And my name is Katara."

She nodded once at me, and the other two stood along side her, both bowing despite my objections. "You are kind, Katara," Sun said. "I doubt we shall forget you."

"You will be back, won't you?" I asked somewhat frantically, desperately praying to have some companionship other than Zuko.

Zohra shrugged. "Daily chores change. They don't want us to have to do the same thing too often, lest we come up with some sort of plan."

I nodded, distressed. "I sincerely hope to see you all again." I paused. "Ta," I said quietly.

Ta looked at me with an anxious expression, but I just smiled. "I may not know you very well, but you seem like a very brave girl. Keep your head up."

Ta smiled gratefully at me, and bowing once more, they left the room.

I sat on the bed, staring at my hands. I simply did not understand anything about these people. They were so cruel, so barbaric, and so inhumane. I sighed.

The boxes were stacked against the wall, and I walked over to them. I could already smell my clothes becoming somewhat…disgusting, so I thought I might as well change. Blindly, I reached into the top box, pulling out the first thing my fingers closed in on. I pulled out a ridiculous halter-top and a skirt that was so short it could barely pass for a skirt at all. In disgust, I threw it on the ground. So the Fire Nation was just a bunch of tramps!

In apprehension, I went back into the box, this time pulling out a dress that went past my knees and covered my chest completely—a lucky find. The only downside was that it had material missing on either side of the torso part, showing off the dark skin on my waist. I grimaced at my reflection in the bathroom a moment later, but decided that it could be a lot worse.

Not wanting to stay around this stranger any more, I retreated back to the other room, sitting on the edge of the bed and trying to think about anything that was not related to fire, reveling clothing, or Prince Zuko.

* * *

Zuko returned a few hours later, paler than usual and tired looking. Upon his arrival, he threw himself onto the bed, pressing the backs of his hands against his eyes. I raised an eyebrow at his still form, resisting the urge to ask what was wrong. Whatever it was, it was his problem. Eventually, he spoke.

"He wants you executed." He spoke without much emotion, but his body was rigid.

I leapt off of the bed. "What!" I all but yelled.

He heaved a dramatic sigh. "Calm down. I got you out of it."

I slumped in relief, sitting on the floor. "How?"

He frowned. "By promising to leave immediately. Apparently you're not as useful as he'd have liked to believe in the beginning, and therefore I'm just as useless. He wants us gone by tomorrow evening."

My heart soared. "So now I'll be released, right?" At his incredulous look I began to feel panicked. "You said that he thought I was useless," I squeaked, my voice rising higher with each word. "What possible reason could you have to keep me? Let me go!"

He sat up and scowled. "I said he thought you were useless. But I know that I can still bait the Avatar with you."

"No, no you can't!" I all but yelled, jumping to my feet to glare at him. "If the Fire Lord says I'm useless, then I'm useless! You'll never get Aang! Let me go!"

He slid off the bed, moving toward me with deliberate slowness, looking more menacing than I'd ever seen him before. He stopped a foot away, his eyes laughing cruelly at me. "And where will you go?" He snarled in a voice so intense that I almost flinched. Almost. "You'll die here in the Fire Nation: an enemy of all the citizens, no money for food. You wouldn't last two days. And if you think you're just going to hitch a ride out of here on my ship, you're mistaken. You'll come a prisoner, or you'll perish where you are. What's your choice, peasant?" He eyes challenged me. I had no answer. "That's what I thought."

He glared at me for a moment before sitting back on the bed. His shaggy hair hung in his eyes. After a moment, he said in a significantly calmer voice, "You're still to see Azula tonight."

The hair on the back of my neck prickled. "Why?" I asked in a defeated tone.

"Does it matter?"

"Yes. If we're not to stay, why would she want to see me?"

"Azula has her own agenda. I'm sure none know of it but her." He ran a hand through his hair.

I inhaled slowly, and exhaled. After a few minutes, I asked, "Where will we go?"

"The Earth Kingdom; most likely Omashu. I'm not yet a traitor there. The Fire Nation soldiers there won't bother with me, and the common folk will be too afraid to approach me. It'll be peaceful there for a little while, until we have to move again."

"Why would we move?" It's not like I wanted to spend my life hanging on the man's sleeve, but for one, how would Aang find them and try to rescue her if she was always on the move; and two, what reasons would he have to stay on that ship for the rest of his life?

He didn't get a chance to answer her. Just at that moment, a servant knocked timidly on the door. Katara perked momentarily, hoping to see Sun or one of the girls, but when Zuko gave his assent she saw it was just a young man with their dinner. He hastily set the tray down on the floor, bowed, and scurried out of the room, shutting the door shakily behind him.

Zuko beckoned me with his hand. "Eat." I declined. He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Silence reigned for a moment, while the prince chewed thoughtfully. "Why do you follow him?" He asked suddenly.

I sat startled, and said nothing for a moment. "Because I'm not alone," I answered eventually, deciding to be truthful.

He snorted. "You're not alone here, you know. There _are_ people around."

"It's different," I told him patiently.

"I don't see how it can be," he said carelessly.

"There's a difference between being surrounded by just people, and being surrounded by people you trust, who trust you. People, who, regardless of blood relations, love you." The thought brought on a fresh wave of sorrow at my absence with the others.

He sat silent, not responding, simple eating in the silence.

The quiet dominated for a long while, until eventually another knock sounded at the door.

Zuko called the person in, and Sun stepped through the door. I beamed at her, but her expression was solemn.

"Miss Katara is to see Princess Azula now." Her face was almost apologetic.

I took a deep breath.


End file.
